IN the recent Autumn Statement, the Chancellor, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, announced that further grants would be made from the Libor (Bank Fines) Fund to emergency services charities.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is delighted to announce that £1 million has been awarded to facilitate night landing sites.

Heléna Holt, CEO of DAAT, explained “We applied for a £1 million grant on behalf of the Devon community, to assist in funding community landing sites across the county. We were so pleased to hear that we have been awarded the grant.”

Nigel Hare, Operations Director of DAAT added: “We are now flying into the hours of darkness. We have been working hard with the community since January to build a network of community night landing sites. These sites are pre-surveyed and have state-of-the-art technology with remote switching to turn on and off the lights at the scene.”

He added “Communities have very much taken ownership of their own landing site, not only funding them but also undertaking to ensure they are kept in good order.

“Even though the communities would still need to raise the funds to buy the equipment, the grant would be available to fund the cost of installing the flood lighting.”

The £1 million grant will help with the installation of up to 300 landing sites.